The Defiant red lion
by Gulefritz
Summary: Ever since Tywin became hand to Joffrey Baratheon has the Rains of Castamere been sung all over the crownlands and the westerlands, mostly by Lannister men. But what is the story behind the song? follow Edward Connington as he tells the people around him about the tale of the defiant red lion of Castamere.


**Hello everyone, Gulefritz here.**

**I am a fan of Game of Thrones and I will admit, one of my favorite houses is the Lannisters.**

**I thought it would be fun to tell a somewhat known story, the Reyne-Tarbeck rebellion, from the eyes of the Lannister soldiers and of course, the lords.**

**This character is a bit of an intro, to see if people are interested in reading this.**

**Enjoy.**

Edmund was on his way to one of the many taverns in King's landing. He didn't have much of a choice. Ever since the Tyrell army had reached the capital, had the reach soldiers been forced to communicate with the Lannister soldiers, they were going to fight together against the Starks after all.

The sun had set, and night has fallen over King's landing. Most of the lights in the city has been snuffed out, only the Red Keep can still be seen in the distance. The people of the city have either gone to their homes or about to close their shops. A quiet has befallen the city as the people have gone to rest, except for the taverns and brothers of course.

Edmund tried to stop but he didn't have much of a chance. The soldiers besides him, having a lust for both women and ale pushed him forward. He tried to walk to the side, when a sergeant grabbed him by the elbow, shaking his head. Without another word, Edmund entered the tavern.

Edward Connington, a veteran captain from Lannisport, was sitting inside one of the many taverns, drinking a nice cool ale and some bread with cheese. The mood inside of the tavern was joyful, with Lannister men cheering all over the tavern.

Suddenly the door opens, and a large host of Tyrell soldiers enter the tavern. It caused silence to spread across the tavern, as both sides looked at one another. The men of the Reach looked on in silence as the soldiers of the Westerlands looked them over. Edward looked over the group, until he found their captain, a man taller than most of the soldiers and had a few more ornate pieces, some of the pieces looked like roses. Edward silently laughed at this, soldiers wearing flower, now he truly had seen everything.

The two captains nodded at one another, and the groups of soldiers started to mingle with one another, sharing tales over ale and cheese.

Edmund was pushed forward by the Captain. The two of them walked over to the chair of the Lannister captain and Edmund, almost immediately, inspected the people he was about to meet.

The first thing he noticed, was that the man looked like he had fought a great deal of battles. The captain had a couple of scars across the chins. His armor was ornated, small lion heads on the side of shoulder pads and a lion's head on his chest. His helmet was lying on the table.

The captain had blue eyes and a fully-grown beard. The man was clearly not a young recruit, but an elderly veteran from the Lannister army. His thoughts were broken when his captain set him by the Lannister men.

"This man is a little shy... Don't be too gentle with him"

The captain forcibly made Edmund sit by the table and then walked by Edward, both laughing at one another.

It has been a week since Stannis Baratheon tried to storm the walls of King's Landing. A week since the defenders of the city held back the usurper under the leadership of halfman Tyrion Lannister. A week since the armies of the hand of the king, Tywin Lannister, crushed the Stormland armies against the walls of King's Landing. It has been a great victory, a victory that is now being celebrated by Westerland and Reach soldiers.

It had been a week since House Lannister and House Tyrell joined together. A week since the crown joined the Tyrells in marriage, and with this proposal, a week since the Alliance between the houses of Tyrell and Lannister had begun. It was the start of an alliance not even the Starks could hope to stop, no matter how seasoned the northern armies were.

Edward smiled and took a sip from his ale letting out a sigh of relief. If all went well, then he would be back in Lannisport by the end of year. Just a couple of months more, and he would be back with his family.

He smiled at the thought and noticed the young Tyrell soldier in front of him was staring at him. He looked at the Tyrell soldier in front of him.

"What is your name?"

The young man was surprised at the sudden question and answered very fast and stumbled with his words.

"E-Edmund sir"  
Edward sighed and some of the men besides them laughed at the young man's failure to even say his name properly. Edmund looked at the table, seemingly ashamed.

"Edmund, eyes op. I don't want any sour or sad feeling tonight, tonight we celebrate"

Edmund looked up again at the Lannister Captain and gave a halfhearted smile. Edward looked in the direction of the barkeep and raised his right hand.

"Oi! Barkeep! A round of ale for the table!"

Every soldier, Tyrell and Lannister, by the table let out a cheer, slamming their hands into the table some going as far as yelling Edwards name in a cheering tone. Everyone expect for Edmund who had once more begun to look at the table. This made Edward look at the young soldier with a raised eyebrow.

"Cheer up Edmund. Atleast pretend you like to be here"

Edward said this in a low tone, just enough for the young man to hear it. He bolted up and nodded at the captain.

"Yes sir"

Half a minute later, the barkeep returned with ales for the entire table. Edward handed the barkeep his money and turned back to the people at the table. He grabbed hold of his ale and raised it into the air.

"Cheers! For a job well done, For Tywin Lannister!"

"And Mace Tyrell… He t-too fought at the B-Blackwater

Edmund was quick to insert after Edward, making the captain and every other soldier by the table look at the soldier. Edward smiled and nodded at Edmund.

"And Mace Tyrell. Cheer for the Lannister Tyrell Alliance!"

With that Edward started drinking his ale, joined together by the other soldiers at the table, which included Edmund. Though the young soldier was quick to set it down again, the man looking almost ready to spit it out again, causing even more laughter from the Lannister and Tyrell soldiers beside him.

"So, Edmund. Is the Taverns of King's Landing worthy for a reach soldier such as you?"

Edward looked over the man. The man was very young, recently recruited into the vast army of the reach. Edmund was wearing most of the reach uniform, save for his helmet, revealing the long red hair of the man. Edmund looked at the table before looking up at Edward, a shifty look in his eyes and red color in his cheeks, the man not used to drink.

"It is okay sir"

A Lannister soldier suddenly arrived from the right and sat down next to Edmund. The soldier put his arm around Edmund's shoulder, with an ale in his hand, and a very lightly clothed woman next to him, giggling and hugging the side of the soldier.

"You better go and enjoy yourself boy while you still can. If rumors are true, then the Hand of the King will send us to the trident in days, so better live now before we go to the swamp that is the Riverlands"

Suddenly the soldier pushed against the table and stood up, the girl still by his side and the ale only spilling a bit. He suddenly hands it to the girl and yells out in the tavern.

"In days we will march with the great lion! In days the rains of Castamere will be sung across the Riverlands and the North!"

With that the other Lannister soldiers in the tavern cheered, raising their swords into the air. The soldier who had started the yelling took his ale from the girl, kissed her on the mouth and picked her up on his shoulder, stealing her into the night, not to be seen again for quite the time.

In the spirit of the cheering, a small group of soldiers started to sing the song that was mentioned before. Edward looked at them and decided to hum with them, a small smile on the man's lips. Edmund looked at the Captain, then to the soldiers singing. Two lines of the song caught Edmund's ear.

"And who are you, the proud lord said, that I must bow so low, only a cat of a different coat, that all the truth I know"

"And so, he spoke, and so he spoke, that lord of Castamere. And now the rains weep over his halls with no one there to hear"

Edward looked over Edmund as they both listened to the soldiers singing. Edmund noticed that almost all the Lannister men were singing along. His attention was suddenly caught by Edward.

"You better get used to hear the Rains of Castamere. They sing it all the time"

The young reach soldier looked at the Lannister captain with a curious but skeptical look, a look that made Edward stop humming and look at the man directly, with a rather serious but friendly look, which surprised the man. Finally, after some time, were Edmund able to summon the courage and will to ask a question.

"What-.. Sir"

Edward only nodded, allowing the man to ask whatever he wished to ask.

"What is the Rains of Castamere? I know it is a song, but what is it about?"

The chatter around the table they say at stopped and silence ensued, Lannister and Tyrell soldiers looked at the young man. They looked at him with shocked humorous looks, ridiculing him for not knowing the story behind one of the most popular songs in King's Landing, or atleast had become since Tywin Lannister became Hand of the King.

Edward sat forward, setting down his ale and looked at Edmund straight in the eyes.

"Listen to the words Edmund. It is about the defiant Lord of Castamere. It was a house in the Westerlands, who thought them strong enough to challenge the Lannisters. They thought their liege lords weak and unworthy to rule from Casterly Rock. Lord Tywin Lannister, still a young man, were quick to show them what happens when you challenge the lions of Casterly Rock"

Edward made a small pause, looking at Edmund, then down the table, noticing that some of the other Tyrell soldiers, and a few Lannister men were looking at the captain, wanting to hear the story behind the song, some of them for the first time, others, to get a retell of the story.

"A story about how Tywin Lannister, still not a lord, destroyed two major houses of the Westerlands. The Night is young, and the ale is still running. What say you men, shall we teach the Reach the story of the Lords of Castamere?"

The Lannister men slammed their fists against the table in a chorus. Edward looks about the room and noticed the commotion had caught the attention of some of the other Lannister soldiers, who were by now, looking in his direction, joined by their Tyrell counterparts. Edward let out a sigh.

"I suppose I have to tell you lot a bedtime story then. I have to look after you all, but didn't expect it to go this far"

With that the soldiers let out a laugh, a short one, and soon Edward spoke up again, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"The story starts by the end of the war of the ninepenny kings"

**If you liked this, please, review, I'd love to know what I can do to make this even better.**


End file.
